A mosque that has been closed for more than 100 years will be reopened in Greece
Yeni Mosque, Thessaloniki
The historic Yeni Mosque in Thessaloniki, Greece will open for Muslims to pray on Eid al-Fitr for the first time in more than 100 years. The 16th-century Suleymaniye Mosque on the island of Rhodes is also open to Muslims for Eid prayers.
The Greek government has announced that the historic Eni Mosque in Thessaloniki, the country 's second largest city, will be open to Muslims for the first time in more than 100 years on April 10, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. The 16th-century Suleymaniye Mosque on the island of Rhodes is also open to Muslims for Eid prayers. This was announced by the General Secretariat for Religious Affairs, TRT reports .
"The General Secretariat for Religious Affairs wishes Muslims to turn the month of Ramadan into a month of kindness, charity and good deeds. [...] In particular, for the regions of Rhodes and Thessaloniki, the Suleymaniye Mosque and the Yeni Mosque will be put to use on April 10 for our Muslim compatriots and guests to pray," the ministry said in a statement.
The Yeni (New) Mosque of the Ottomans, built by the Italian architect Vitaliano Poselli in 1902, was built for the Jews of Thessaloniki who converted to Islam, while the Suleimaniye Mosque in Rhodes was built in 1522 and named after Sultan Suleiman I. After the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, all Muslims living in Greece, except for those in Western Thrace, were transferred to Turkey.
The total number of Muslims in Greece is 100-140 thousand, and in Western Thrace they make up a third of the population.
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